Author: Cat Bordhi

ISBN Number: 0968236480

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

A riddle, a wise-woman, mystical acorns and a hermit—all are part of the mysterious journey a grandmother entrusts to her grandchildren Ben and Sara.

 Grandma Daphne has died, and her Will includes secret letters and instructions to her daughter Lily’s children. Daphne’s greatest wish is for the family to live in her house adjacent to the Forest for one year, during which time she hopes Ben and Sara’s tasks will lead their mother and father into the forest to find “the dearest freshness deep down inside.”

 First in a trilogy, author Cat Bordhi has set the stage for an ongoing adventure-quest acted out by Ben and Sara. Ben is a new teenager, with Sara close on his hills. Together, their special skills and knowledge, taught them by Grandmother Daphne, work towards the ultimate understanding of self and nature.

 In this first book, young Sara turns up missing after a visit to the Forest. The characters introduced to complete this storyline are each interesting.

• Daggett, a hermit who lives on the other side of the pond in the Forest and communes with ravens and coyotes.

• Esther, a woman of wizardly skills who continues Daphne’s story for Sara.

• Rupert, an old friend of Daphne’s, confined to a wheelchair and the owner of Matthias, the three-legged bloodhound Ben loves.

• Thea, Rupert’s daughter, who, with Matthias, joins the search for Sara, and trusts the instincts of Ben.

• Archie, another friend of Daphne’s.

• Lily, Ben and Sara’s mother, who is frightened of the Forest.

• Peter, the father of Ben and Sara, who learns his children know more about the universe than he does.

 Mystery surrounds each character and object in the book, from how to retrieve a treasure from beneath the pond without disturbing the water to the mystical qualities of seven, specially carved acorns. One of the seven acorns is in the wrong hands. Why does Daggett live in the Forest? Why is Lily afraid of the Forest?

 One of the numerous unique story elements is a tree-house knitted from rope. Ben learns this skill from Rupert, and he uses it to help his mother continue to knit a special pair of socks for the missing Sara.

 Listed as Young Adult Fiction, “Treasure Forest” is an adventure suitable for adult readers, too.

 CAUTION: Parents should know that dangerous situations are described in detail in “Treasure Forest,” such as falling into quicksand, escaping it, but liking it enough to want to do it again; using rope to climb steep cliffs, and venturing into areas the fictional parents told their children not to go.

 I recommend for parents to read the book first and decide whether their child is mature enough to not go out and attempt any of the adventures described in the book. Though the information, if properly absorbed can save a life, please make sure your child is mature enough to apply the information with common sense.

 That caution aside, the book is fascinating, the characters well drawn, and the setting one of endless secrets to discover.

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